A living wage is terribly important. The problem is, what is a living wage? Listening to the Democratic Debate, I was struck by the absolute lack of reality, regard, or consideration for business. Sure, I like some liberal ideas, but small business is the back-bone of this nation. When you constantly do things to hurt small business, you hurt everyone. Liberals need to understand people are in business to make money and to survive. They are not in business to be a social welfare agency for their employees. They are in business to enrich themselves. Today, such a statement is considered evil. Sorry, but it’s not. There is nothing wrong with being a success and getting rich. I endeavor to do that, every day.

A living wage works when prices are kept within reason. Today it takes nearly $8.50 to pay for what cost $5 in 2000. That’s a huge jump in prices. It’s called inflation. Neither party wants to deal with it. Neither wants to take responsibility for what they’ve done to us. Instead, they just keep doing the same thing, while our lives deteriorate to nothing. Something that cost $100 in 2000 now costs $169. That’s huge. When something cost $1000, today it is nearly $1700! When you get up to $10,000 it is now $16,900.00. The increase basically occurred in 2001, as in September 11, 2001. We’re talking a $10 in value then, being $16.00 in cost, today.

Want to know why? The price of oil in 1999 was $16.56. In 2000 it was $27.39. In 2001 it was $23.00. The big jump in inflationary prices began in 1999. What cost $10 then now costs $18. We are being ruined. No wonder what was a decent minimum wage in 2000 no longer works. This is a dramatic failure for both parties. There is a huge reason why there are ‘working’ poor now. It isn’t because of the minimum wage, but inflation.

Bernie Sanders idea of a $15/hour minimum wage is a socialist fantasy. For one thing, it nearly doubles the minimum wage. Contrary to how the Democrats portray it, it will cost jobs. There are some entry level people who just don’t deserve $15/hour. What happens to the person who is now making $15/hour as a good wage? Are they stuck making the same thing as some entry level person who doesn’t deserve that much? Why even bother working if you’re going to spend all those years struggling to make more money, and have some twit walk in and make the same thing? That’s still not a lot of money, but that person deserves a break. They’re now going to be required to receive $30/hour to make up for it. No business owner is shell out $600 a week for anyone. That’s huge. It is destructive. It is psychological damning.

I’ve been there, working my heart out at just a little over minimum wage, when a new person, completely unqualified, but hired to supervise was brought in at twice what I was making. We were forced to do this person’s job, make less money, and see that person be promoted. I quit. You can’t do this to other people who aren’t making minimum wage. You can’t do it to people who own businesses. It is as morally wrong as not having a decent wage is.

The real answer to this is to control inflation, and to control costs. The way you control costs for businesses is to get crippling regulations off their back. How can people get ahead if every ten years or so prices go up 50%? It is how you impoverish an entire nation, and not just the poor.

Business owners are not a social welfare one stop agency. While it is nice for a business to offer insurance, they should not be required to do so. Then, when the current Administration doesn’t appear to give a damn about how people in the country are actually doing, it makes matters worse. We’re allowed to think there is no inflation, when it is rigged, to keep the Feds from going farther into debt. It impoverishes us, and ruins our lives. They are stealing from us. Then, pandering politicians like Bernie Sanders pontificate that all will be solved by raising the minimum wage.

The Federalist

This is why we have less money to spend. It isn’t because the minimum wage is so low, it is because the Obama Administration is out of control when it comes to absolutely obscene rules and regulations, the EPA, and even the ACA. They don’t give a damn about we the little people.

The Federalist

What this basically means is that we the little people are completely screwed. Don’t look for our lives to get better. They are only going to become worse, more impoverished, and miserable. Frankly, I think the Democrats like to see us miserable and the Republicans don’t give a damn.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SJ Reidhead (aka The Pink Flamingo) is a writer based in New Mexico. The author of two published novels, both westerns: Dust Devil and The Second Mrs. Earp and two published works of non-fictions: TRAVESTY: Frank Waters Earp Agenda Exposed and A Church for Helldorado, Endicott Peabody's 1882 Tombstone Diary. One of the leading authorities on the life of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone during the Earp years, she is writing a series of murder mysteries set in modern day Tombstone. The author is also working on a book about fashion in the Wild West. When complete, there will be over 2100 unpublished antique photographs dating from 1855-1910.

The author's work has appeared in Wild West, True West, Blogcritics, and The Tombstone Times. Recently the author has had to deal with a father who succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease. This is leading to a book dealing with the frustrations of dealing with the frustrations of the disease, finance, legal, health-care, and things no one bothers telling families about it. A portion of the book will contain entries from a blog she kept, detailing the struggle with her father's AD. She is also working on a murder mystery series set in modern day Tombstone and Cochise County. Several books of essays on Christian living are currently in edits. A book of essays and revisions of articles about Wyatt Earp has been completed and will include her latest work detailing her theory about the murder of his second wife, Mattie.

SJ Reidhead has been involved in Republican politics since she was 'a little kid'. During the Reagan years she was a lobbyist working with various non-profit organizations who were attempting to salvage NASA and the American space program after the disastrous Carter years. In spite of ups and downs, and numerous disappointments, politically, it is obvious the only political hope for this country is via the Republican Party. Along with politics she is an opera fanatic, has been known to stalk baritones to the point of being a baritone junkie, and loves baseball.

The Pink Flamingo went on line on October 4, 2005.

THE PINK FLAMINGO STORY

It started out as a joke. During the seven years I worked with the girls of my parish, leading a youth group, one of the things that I stressed were manners. Part of having manners, the way I see it, is to know how to set a proper table, host a party, cater it, and clean up afterward. I was fortunate enough to have a group of very talented girls in my youth group. They learned how to plan for, and execute large church functions, very properly. During one such function I noticed there were several incredibly tacky pink flamingos sitting on the table. Knowing the girls were up to something, I said nothing. A few months later they did the same thing at a function I was hosting at my home. I said nothing. They had a birthday party for me. More pink flamingos appeared - and a joke was born.

Thanks to the girls, all of whom are now grown, I have a collection of pink flamingos. It has become an ongoing joke. When I began working on my political blog, I realized the only possibly title was The Pink Flamingo!